Thebasketshouldhavesidesaboutfourincheshigh，andthebottomshouldmeasureaboutsevenandone-halfbyteninches。Thesidesandendsslopeoutward，andthebasketisopenwickerwork。
Suitablebowsofribbonontheendsofthehandleandcornersofthebasketconcealthemechanism。
Inthepresentinstance，theassistantbehindthescenes，afterreadingandplacingthequestionsinduplicateenvelopeswhichthemanagerhadpreviouslynumbered，sealedthemandplacedtheminthesidesofthebasket，bentuptheflapsintoposition，andloweredthehandlelockingtheminplace。Henowpushedthisbasketintoviewonatableattherearofthestage；andwhenthemanagerwasreadytoreturntheenvelopes，hescoopedthedummyenvelopesfromthetablewheretheylayafterthebagwasemptiedintothisbasket。Hethenliftedthehandlewhichreleasedtheflaps，coveredupthedummyenvelopesanddroppedtheoriginalsintoview。
Thesehetookdownandquicklydistributedtothewriters。Beingnumbered，thiscouldbequicklydone。
Iwillnowdescribethemethodemployedonthethirdevening。Thistimedummyenvelopeswereplacedinthesidesofthebasket，andthehandleleftinaloweredpositionwhiletheoperatorgathereduptheenvelopes。Asthemanagerreturnedtothestagehetookthebasketbythehandle。Thisreleasedthedummyenvelopes，andcovereduptheoriginalsretainingthem。Heemptiedthedummyenvelopesuponthesmalltableandthenlaidthebasketonatablenearthefliesintherear，andratheroutofview。Anassistantbehindthescenestookouttheoriginalenvelopes，openedthem，andashereadthequestionsrepeatedthemintoasmalltelephone。Thewiresfromthistelephoneranunderthestagecarpettoapairofmetalplateswithatackinthecenterofeachplatewhichpointedupward。Theseplateswerelocatedundercertainspotsinthecarpetanddirectlyinfrontofthemedium’schair。Therewerealsotwootherpairsofwiresleadingtotwootherpositionsonthestage。Themediumwasdressedasa“Mahatma“onthisevening，wearingalargeturban。Alargetasseldangledbyhisleftear，completelyconcealingasmall“watch-casereceiver“whichwasattachedtothisear。Twotinywiresledfromthisreceiver，insidehiscollar，downhisperson，andwereconnectedinsidehisshoestootherwireswhichpenetratedthesolesofhisshoes。
Theselatterwiresweresolderedtocopperplateswhichweretackedintopositiononhisshoesoles。Henowtookhispositioninthechairandplacedhisfeetoverthehiddentacks，whichnowcontactedhisshoeplates，completingthecircuit，sothatanythingwhisperedintothetelephoneonthestagewasrepeatedinhisear。
Hethengaveafewtests，tappinghisspiritbell，whichwasasignalformoreinformationfromtheassistant。
Hesoongrewnervousandwalkedawaygivingatestashewalked。
Henowpausedinacertainpositionforamoment，placinghishandtohisheadasifsomewhatdazedandtappinghisbell。Inthispositionhisfeetwereagainovertwoconcealedtacks，andheagainsecuredinformationforanothertest，whichhegaveashewalkedabout。Henowpausedinathirdpositionandgaveanothertest，afterwhichhereturnedtothechair，continuinghiswork。Thismaneuveringhekeptupuntilallthetestsweregiven；afterwhichhefelluponacouchexhausted，butwithhisfeetfromthespectators。
Themanagernowsteppedtotherearofthestageandtookthebasket，whichwasnowinplacecontainingtheoriginal？
envelopesbehindtheflaps；andsteppingtothesmalltablehescoopedinthedummyenvelopes；thentakingthebasketbythehandles，hesteppeddowntherunwayandrapidlyreturnedtheunopened？envelopestotheirwriters。Theassistanthad，ofcourse，sealedthequestionsinduplicateenvelopespreviouslynumberedbythemanager。Hehadplacedthesebehindtheflaps，andshovedthebasketintoviewonatableattherearofthestage。
Iuseavariationofthesetricksinmydoubleparlors。Ihavemadea“billetchangingbasket“asabovedescribed，andhavealsomadeasimilarbasketexceptthatitcontainsnomechanism。
Ipasscardsandenvelopestothespectatorsinthefrontparlor。
Whenthequestionsarewrittenandsealedintheenvelopes，I
gatherthemupinthemechanicalbasket；Isteptoatableintherearparlorandapparentlyemptythemuponit。Inreality，Ihavejustraisedthehandlesothattheoriginalsareretained，andthedummyenvelopesareemptiedonthetableinstead。
Inowsteptoanadjoiningroomforaninstant，togetasmalldecoratedscreen。Isecretlyleavethebasketcontainingtheoriginalenvelopesinthisroomandreturnwiththeotherbasketinmyhandinitsplace。Iplacethesmallornamentalscreenonthetablebackoftheenvelopes，butleavetheenvelopesinviewandrequestthespectatorstonoticethatIdonotgonearthemuntilI
getreadytogivethetests。Inowcarelesslylaythenon-
mechanicalbasketonatableintheroomwherethespectatorsareandproceedwithsomeothertricks。
UsuallyIgivetheseriesofexperimentsdescribedinthechapterentitled“MediumisticReadingofSealedWritings。“IstatetothespectatorsthatIwillnotgivethetestsforthesealedenvelopesuntillaterintheevening。
Meanwhile，shouldanyonethinkofsuchathing，hecaneasilyexaminethelittlebasket，whichhethinksIhavejustused；asitstillliesonthetableinthefrontparlorwithotherdiscardedparaphernalia，includingslates，etc。Iusenoassistant；soafteratimehaselapsed，andwhenbytheperformanceofothersealedreadings，suspicionhasbeendivertedfromthetestswiththebillets，mywiferetiresonsometriflingerrand。Whileout，sheopenstheenvelopesinthebasket，preparesthesheetofquestions，andplacesitintheBible；thenshere-sealsthequestionsinenvelopespreviouslymarkedbyme，placestheminthesidesofthebasket，raisestheflapsandlowersthehandle。Shethenusuallyenterswithsomelightrefreshmentsforthespectators，whichexplainsherabsencewithaword。
Icontinuewithotherexperimentsfortenorfifteenminutesafterherreturn；thenIgatherupmysurplusparaphernalia，includingthedummybasket，andcarryalltotheroomadjoiningthebackparlor，whereIleaveit。IreturninstantlywiththemechanicalbasketwhichIplacenearmyowntable；andthenIgiveanotherexperimentofsomekind。
InowpickupthebasketandannouncethatIhavedecidedtoreturntotheirwriterstheenvelopesonthetableinfrontofthescreenbeforeattemptingtogivethetests。Idothisasifitwerealaternotion。Inowscoopinthedummyenvelopes，andraisethehandle，whichactioncoversthemupandreleasestheoriginalsnowsealed。Inowdistributetothewriterstheirenvelopes，whichI
cando，astheyarenumberedasdescribedearlierinthischapter。
IrequesteachsittertoholdhisenvelopeuntilIshallgivehistest。ThenIusuallyperformsomeotherlittleexperimentbeforegivingthetests。
InowtakeupmyBible，whichIwillstakeIbroughtintotheroom，unnoticed，whenIreturnedwiththelastbasket。IthenseatmyselfandleisurelyturntheleavesthroughtheBible，readingverses，andgivingthetestsasbeforedescribed。
Ialwaysfirstreadaquestionsecretly，andthenturnbythesheetofpaperandbeginreadingaverseofScripture。AsIdothisI
permitthefrontoftheBibletolowerenoughforthespectatorstoseetheprintedpages。Thispreventssuspicion。Meanwhile，thespectatorshaveforgottenthatIeversteppedfromtheroomatallwiththebasket，andeventhatmywiferetiredforsomerefreshments。NeitherdidtheynoticetheBiblewhenIbroughtitin。
Theeffectoneachperson，asIcallhimbynameanddescribethe“influence“ofhis“dearone，“givingnamesandmostmarvelousinformation，isfarsuperiortowhatitwouldbewereImerelytoreadthequestionsliterally，andgivetheanswers。
ProbablythegreatestswindleeverperpetratedinthenameofspiritualismwasrecentlybroughttolightinStockton，California。
Themediumandhisconfederatesmaterializedeverythingfromfrogsandsmallfishtoahugebowlderofgoldquartzweighingseveralhundredpounds。Thislatterhadtobebroughtfromthemountainswithamuleteam。
Thematerializingwasdonethroughslidingpanelsinthewalls，whilethebelieverssatholdinghandsabouttheoppositesideofatable，andloudlysingingsacredhymns。Theyhadtheonlydoortotheroomlockedandsealed，andneverdreamedthatthespiritswhobroughtthequartzfromthemineweremules。
Thousandsofdollarswereinvestedinthis“spiritmine，“thebelieversstackingtheirmoneyonthequartzasitlayonthetableatadarkseance，andreceivingdeedsinreturnfortheirmoney，whichthespiritsdematerialized。
Themediumestablished，orhadhisspiritsestablish，a“TreasuryofHeaven，“forthefaithfultodeposittheirmoneyin，andonwhichtheyweretoreceivefiftypercentinterest。Thisinterestthebelieverscontinuedtoreceiveatdarkseancesfromthespiritsforatime。Eachsitter’sinterestwasfoundonthetablestackedinfrontofhimwhenthelightswerelighted。Whenthespiritbankbecameinsolventandthechiefmediumdisappeared，thebelieverswereoutaboutthirty-fivethousanddollars。
NolessapersonagethanamillionaireofTacoma，Washington，issaidtohavecontributedlargelytothisspiritfund。Ihadknownofthiscaseforsometimebeforetheexposureconductedbyaperformerengagedforthepurpose，andknewthatcertaininterestedpersonswerecontemplatingbringingitabout，inordertorescuecertainestimablepersonsfromtheclutchesofthesemediums。Thiswassuccessful；andtheconfederatesofthemediumsignedwrittenconfessionsinthepresenceofoneofthemostdevoutofthebelievers，andagentlemanwhoisotherwiseveryintelligent。Uponthisthegentlemanwasgreatlycrestfallen，buthestillinsiststhattherearecertainmediumswhoarenotimpostors；andthatcertainmediumsinChicagowhoproducespiritportraitsaregenuine。
AfullandveryinterestingaccountofthisexposureisgivenintheSanFranciscoExaminerofMarch3and4，1907。
Icouldreportenoughcasesofmaterializationtofillavolume。
TheseIknowof，fromvarioussources，andineverycasetheywereinvariablyfraudulent。Iwillgiveashortaccountofamaterializationwhichaveryexpertmedium，whoisonfriendlytermswithme，witnessed。Thegentlemanwasoriginallyaminister，andafterwardsbeganinvestigatingspiritualism，ashewasabelieverinit。Hehopedtobecomeamedium；andatonetimepaidtwoladymediumsofsomerenown，whoresideinChicago，threedollarsasittingforthreesittingsaweek。Thesesittingswereconductedforthepurposeofdevelopingthisgentlemaninmediumship。Hecontinuedthisforalongtime，buthewasnonearertobeingamediumthanhewasinthebeginning。
Atonetimehedetectedoneofthesisterspassingaslatetotheother，andsubstitutinganotherinitsplace。Hesawtheedgeofoneoftheslatesprotrudingfrombehindthedressofoneofthesisters。Theyneverknewtheywerediscoveredashesaidnothing，butthis“openedhiseyes。“Afterthisheinvestigatedeverywhere，andateveryopportunity，andgrewtobeaveryexpertmediumhimself。
Recently，wheninLosAngeles，hevisitedaseanceconductedbyamediumwhoclaimedtobeaBuddhistpriest。Thismediumwasknownunderthenameof“TheReverendSwamiMazzininanda。“Hehadanaltarinhishome，constructedsomethinglikethoseinRomanCatholicchurches。Hehadvariouscandlesandimagesonthisaltar，includinganimageofBuddha，andalsoanumberofmysticalfigures。Itwasagreatmixtureof“fake“Buddhism，RomanCatholicism，andmodernspiritualism。ThemediumalsoworethecostumeofaBuddhistpriestathisseances。
This“priest“heldserviceshereforthefaithful。HeconductedallinHindoostani？，hisnativetongue。Hechanted，prayedtoBuddha，etc。，allinaqueer-sounding“gibberish。“Certaineveningsoftheweekweredevotedto“soul-travel，“andcertaineveningsafterthereligiousservicesa“BlackChapter“washeld。
ThegentlemanwhomIhavementionedattendedoneofthesedarkseances。Hesatwithotherspectatorsaroundtheroominperfectdarkness。Thespectatorswerenotrequiredtoholdhands，sogreatwastheirfaith。Finally，inthedarkness，aqueer-looking，vapory，luminousformfloatedaroundintheairandpausedinfrontofthespectators。Myfriendslippeddownquietlyonhisknees，andgraduallyworkedcloserandclosertotheluminousform，untilhecoulddetectthatthevaporwasakindofluminous“cheesecloth。“Hedidnotdesiretoexposethis“priest，“buthedesiredtohavethe“priest“knowthatsomeonehaddiscoveredhim。Myfriendaccordinglytookholdofthegauzeandgaveitaveryslightdownwardjerk。Hethenimmediatelyreturnedquietlytohisseat。
Therewasanimmediatepauseinthediscourseofthe“priest，“whohadreallybeenfloatingthisformontheendofastick。Everyoneknewthatsomethinghadhappened，butnoonebutmyfriendknewwhatitwas。The“priest“thensaidinhisslow，peculiar，eccentricandmeasuredtones，“Ihavereceivedaverygreatshock；
andIwillbeunabletocontinuefurtherthisevening。“Thenextday，wheninconversationwithsomeofthe“faithful，“this“priest“statedinhispeculiarmannerofspeaking，andwithintenseearnestness，thatwhichfollows：“LastnightIreceivedaverygreatshock。Iwasjustinthemiddleofthe’Dark